Unit 18 Assessment types and tasks

In this unit we talked about assessment which means judging learner’s performance by collecting information about it, teacher can use assessment task to assess learners informally or formally. Informal assessment when teacher observes students how well they are doing something for example participation on the other hand formal assessment is when teacher asses learners through exams and give them a grade.

There are several types of assessment test teacher can use to know how much his/her students know for example at the beginning of the class the teacher can use a diagnostic test to measure what students know and what don’t know. Then if we want to know what level the learners are a placement test can be used.

In addition to find out if learners have learnt well we can use a progress test for example a unit of the course book and we use the information of this test to know if we need to recover the information here or continue. Also we can use summative or achievement test at the end of the term or course to see if they master what they have learnt during that time.

Useful resources:

•  http://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/teaching-and-learning/assessment/types-assessment
•       www.finchpark.com/courses/tkt/Unit_17/assessment.pdf
• http://education.qld.gov.au/staff/learning/diversity/teaching/assessment.html

Unit 17 Practice activities and tasks for language and skills development

We learned in this unit the activities and tasks designed to give learners the opportunity to practice and use the language like new vocabulary, grammatical structures.

In controlled activities students repeated practice in accuracy and form of language, teacher guides students to use the target language by using choral drills or replace key word in given sentences and use new words to create sentences with a different structure. In contrast free activities allow students to use whatever language they want in order to complete a task, these activities focus on fluency practicing on recalling and joining together the language they know with the language given by the teacher.

There are a variety of activities we can use to develop the learner’s skills; they can be controlled or free activities as they practice receptive skills.

Useful resources:

•    www.finchpark.com/courses/tkt/Unit_16/activities.pdf

Unit 16 Background to language teaching

In this unit we talked about presentation techniques that are the ways used by the teacher to focus learner’s attention on meanings, form. Introductory activities are activities used by a teacher to present a lesson or teaching topic.

In the PPP lesson the teacher first puts the target language into a situation in which shows what it means then they elicit the language. Teacher should use choral drills in each lesson. If we want to use task-based learning the aim of it it’s to complete tasks, the teacher contextualize the topic, then he/she with the students discuss any new or problematic language they need.

The PPP and TBL are used to present new language to learners in which they use comprehension by underline examples in the target language then workout in meaning for example by using guided discovery to present the target language. Another way of focusing on new language is through Test-teach-test, the teacher first gives learners a task where they have to use the target language.

Useful resources:

•       http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/ask-a-master-teacher/25522

Unit 15 Approaches to language teaching

In this unit we talked about the view of language and how it takes place, we might think that language is a set of grammar rules and first we have to learn them to learn the language, but approaches refers to the ways or methods of teaching used in the classroom.

We have different approaches such as structural approaches in which language is a system of structures used to communicate meaning, the language is learn through controlled practice or simplifier structures, in the classroom oral skills are learnt before written skills. In addition we have the task-based learning language is a tool for communicating meaning through the use of functions and discourse, the classroom activities are based on problem-solving task.

Presentation, practice and production, the syllabus is focus grammatical structures and forms, lessons move from the presentation stage to practice, learners are not allow to make mistakes, teachers input the language the activities are situational presentations and miming, drills, information gaps activities.

Lexical approach, vocabulary is the most important aspect of language it consists on chunks such as collocations, idioms etc, they need to be notice in order to be learnt. Then the functional approaches here functions are the most important the syllabus is focus on functions usually graded according to their frequency of daily used.

The communicative approaches here communication is really important aspect of language, the best way of learning is to use interaction, fluency is more important than accuracy and authentic materials provide useful input for learners. Grammar translation, language is made up of grammatical rules, it’s important for students to work out with the language. Total physical response, grammatical structures and vocabulary are the most important aspect of language; learners are exposed to language it means that comprehension comes before production.

Useful resources:

•  http://moramodules.com/ALMMethods.htm

Unit 14 Learner Needs

In this unit we talked about the learner’s need, one is personal, praise also become more fluent. When we talked about personal needs learners need challenge, support, praise, set their goals and learning expectations, these aspects have to do with age, gender, cultural background, motivation etc. Learning needs are specific ways of learning, sub skills, and learner autonomy also learning styles the past language experience.

The learner’s need affect many things related with their learning that’s why teachers need to use a good strategy and methodology to make learners learn the language. In addition, content and language integrated learning courses for students needing to learn another subject in another language.

            It’s important to remember that teachers cannot meet all their learners’ needs all time but if the use a variety of lessons will help them to accomplish student’s goals.

Useful resources:

•     http://www.languageswithoutlimits.co.uk/sharedneeds.html

Unit 13 Learner Characteristics

In this unit I learned the most important characteristics of a learner such as motivation, learning style, learning strategies and maturity those are some factors that influence them to learn the language. If we talked about learning styles these are the ways in which a learner naturally take information, each learner has a different learning style, some of them are visual, auditory and kinesthetic.

Learning strategies are also important part to learn and this is the way learners choose and use to learn language, when they use the correct strategy this helps to learn the language better what learners can do is experimenting with the language in conversations, asking the teacher feedback, record themselves and paraphrasing.

Maturity it’s needed when learners want to learn the language, this involves growing up physically, mentally and emotionally. For example children need to be active, they can concentrate for longer period, they learn through experience in contrast teenagers, their concentration last longer than children but still need to be active, they learn in an abstract way. Finally, adults hold their attention for longer periods they learn in an abstract way they are not willing to make mistakes.

Useful resources:        

• http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/seven-characteristics-good-learners/
• http://education.ky.gov/curriculum/docs/pages/characteristics-of-highly-effective-teaching-and-learning-(chetl).aspx

Unit 12 Differences between L1 and L2 learning

In this unit we review some differences about L1 and L2 learning. First we talk about age in in the first language learning starts when learners are babies they learn at the same time as their cognitive skills, then when they are children, in the adolescence. On the other hand L2 learn the language when they are in primary school they are still developing other cognitive skills. When they are adults are likely to show maturity in their attitudes to language learning.

The way they learn can be different; L1 learns by exposure to and pick up language around him or her by hearing it they play and experiment with the language and rarely being corrected instead people around them reformulate what they said but L2 are likely to learn by taught specific items or focusing on structures and individual words. They often used language in controlled practice activities which don’t let them experiment with the language as much as they want and teachers often correct them and ask to use correct language.

Finally, I believe that it’s really important that teachers let L2 to experiment with the language sometimes because it will help the learner to make mistakes then he/she will correct it, also they need to build up confidence with the language learn to have motivation to continue learning.

Useful resources:

• http://www.slideshare.net/GeoffrizalGeography/elt-methodology-differences-bet-l1-and-l2

Unit 11 The role of error

      In this unit we talked about mistakes that are very important for learning a language because it allows learners to play with the language. There are two kind of mistakes; Errors they happened when learners use a language beyond their knowledge because they are still processing the language. On the other hand Slips are the result of tiredness or temporary emotions but it doesn’t mean that they don’t really know the language but it’s because the student’s attention is somewhere else.

      The reasons why learners make errors are; interference when learners use some words or phrases from the L1 into L2 the other reason happens when learners are experimenting or working out with the language called developmental error because this happens when learner of L1 and L2 are developing the language but with time they correct themselves and this errors disappear with this process they are aiming accuracy. Sometimes errors don’t disappear they get fossilized this happens generally to adults.

      Finally, sometimes when learners are improving fluency it’s ok if the teacher ignores some of their mistakes to have the opportunity to develop confidence and fluency.

Useful resources:

•        http://www.finchpark.com/courses/tkt/unit11.html
•              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqVRV1Wzthc

Unit 10 Exposure and focus on form

It’s important to mention important information that I had learnt in this unit about exposures and focus of form of the target language.

First, exposure to the target language it’s very important it could be by an indirect way for example by listening to music or watching TV programs in which learners are going to pick up the language without realizing it, this is mainly the way children learn but it’s not enough if learners are adults.  In addition we have acquisition that takes place over a period of time where learners learn empirically by working out the language.

We need other people to express ourselves so if we want to learn a language it’s needed to have lots of interaction and we will know directly or indirectly if the other person understood us if they don’t understood we can use paraphrasing, but we need to pay attention to pronunciation, word order or affixes.

Finally, the use of several approaches teachers can use like grammar translation method focused on grammar or structural approaches focus on structure to help learners to understand and speak the language

Useful resources:

•       http://www.slideshare.net/albertamaro/exposure-and-focus-on-form

Unit 9 Motivation

In this unit I learned that we have different reasons for learning a foreign language and the motivation to do it comes from inside of us, the environment or for necessity, also there are in some cases demotivated learns who had lost their motivation and unmotivated who has no motivation to learn. I could say that teachers have to pay attention the kind of students he/has and being a good example by showing committed and motivation in class. If the learner feels good about learning the new language this can make this student feel confident about he/she is learning which is important that make us to have a sense of achievement.

In addition encouragement and support help students to continue and find a reason for learning, for example if we like the course book we are using or we love the class or the way the teacher teaches help us to learn, praising or giving a good feedback built self-confidence to students. Finally teachers have to make learners familiar with the culture of the target language by bringing native speakers.

In conclusion, there are different kinds of motivation and reasons to learn a language and as future teachers we have to know how to motivate our students in the class in order to make them feel comfortable with the language and ready to learn it.

Useful resources:

• Bantjes, Leon. "Motivation in the Classroom." Engines for Education. 1994. The Institute for the Learning Sciences, Northwestern University. 

• Cerny, Jerry. The Social Studies Web. University of New Orleans College of Education. 

           http://www.ils.nwu.edu/e-for-e/nodes/NODE-62-pg.html

•        Teaching and the Role of Motivation    www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/hip/us/hip_us.../0205660177.pdf